he will quickly come and speak Peace to thy soul and list up the light of his Countenance on thee I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself saith the Lord Is Ephraim my dear Son Is he a pleasant Child For since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him still therefore my Bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy on him Jer. 31.18 19 20. DIRECTION III. Call to mind and improve the Soul sorrows and Agonies of thy Saviour and Surety who bore the Wrath of God in his soul for thee that thy poor Pensive soul might be comforted and delivered from the Terrors of God His Soul was heavy and sorrowful to the Death yea he was surrounded and environ'd with sorrow and amazement of Spirit and cryed out bitterly on the Cross My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Matth. 27.46 And in the days of his Flesh He offered up Prayers and Supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from Death and was heard in that he feared Heb. 5.7 Now tell God humbly and believingly that he hath laid thy Sin Guilt Curse upon his Son and in the fierceness of his Wrath fell upon him standing in thy stead and room that he might set thee free who is not in the least able to wrestle with the Terrors of God say to him that his own blessed Son hath drank off the Cup of Divine Wrath to the bottom even the very dreggs of it and therefore why should thy poor soul which is redeemed by the precious Blood of thy Saviour tast any part of this bitter Cup Did God withdraw the comforts of his Spirit from the humane Nature of Christ and fill it with sadness and sorrow for thy sake that thou mightest obtain Spiritual peace and comfort O then why should'st not thou earnestly pray for and expect the fruits of Christ's Agony and Death in having thy soul revived and filled with spiritual peace and joy DIRECTION IV. Renew thy Faith and Repentance in good earnest as if thou had'st never done it before Suppose it be suggested to thee by Satan that thou did'st never as yet truly believe and repent of thy sins Thou maist Answer thus Well I will not question that now but resolve by the Grace of God forth-with to Repent heartily of my Sins and believe on the Lord Jesus Some Christians are apt to look back altogether on what they have done and if that do not afford them comfort then they are ready to give up all for losk and to sink under discouragement But though a Christian may sometimes look back and reflect on his former evidences and experiences yet certainly to cast thy self at present by a direct act of Faith upon the free Grace of God in the Gospel-promise is the shortest cut and the readiest way to silence thy doubts and Satans suggestions as sometimes it falls out that a Man may with as little charge and trouble obtain a new Lease as prove the old one good and Authentical Be peremptory and resolute therefore in believing and casting thy self on a Crucified Jesus and say with Esther I will go to the King and if I Perish I Perish Esther 4.16 and with Job Though he Kill me yet will I trust in him Job 13.15 Venture thy Soul upon him as one that 's ready to sink when the Bladders are taken from him will yet venture to swim without Bladders And as the four Lepers said one to another Why sit we here until we dye If we enter into the City the famine is there and we shall dye and if we sit still here we shall dye also Therefore let us fall into the Host of the Syrians if they save us alive we shall live and if they Kill us we shall but dye 2 King 7.3 4. So resolve to throw your self upon Christ and if ye must dye then dye at his feet But this is so far from being the way to Perish that it is the direct way to true Peace Comfort and Happiness DIRECTION V. Trust in the Name of God Jehovah for Comfort and Salvation He that walks in darkness and sees no light let him trust in the Name of the Lord and stay himself upon his God Isa 50.10 * Vid. Mr. Goodwins Child of light walking in darkness the consideration of the Sweet Gratious Merciful Nature and Name of God will support and keep the soul from sinking The Name of the Lord is a strong Tower the Righteous runeth to it and is safe Prov. 18.10 There is enough in the Name of God to Answer all our Objections and resolve all our doubts as this name was proclaimed to Moses The Lord the God merciful and gratious long-suffering and abundant in Goodness and Truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving Iniquity Transgression and Sin Exod. 34.6 7. This Name of God is to be found and is revealed in and by Christ to poor Sinners Hearken to him and obey his Voyce saith the Lord for my Name is in him Exod. 23.21 God was in Christ Reconciling the World unto himself not imputing their Trespasses unto them 2 Cor. 5.19 This is the Name where-with he shall be called the Lord our Righteousness Jer. 23.6 And his Name shall be Jesus for he shall save his People from their sins Matth. 1.21 When we see nothing in our selves to rest upon as in the case of desertion no sight of Graces no light of comfort there-from as in Pauls Voyage by Sea for many days together neither the light of the Sun nor Stars appeared Act. 27.20 Yet then the Name of God will stay and bear up the drooping spirit of a Christian My flesh and my heart faileth saith David but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever Psal 73.26 And though my House be not so with God i. e. as the tender Grass springing out of the Earth by the clear shining of the Sun after Rain yet he hath made with me an everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure for this is all my Salvation and all my desire although he make it not to grow 2 Sam. 23.5 DIRECTION VI. On which I shall a little inlarge Furnish thy self with fit matter out of the holy Scriptures for Heavenly thoughts and meditations that thy heart may endite and meditate a good matter and thy Tongue may be as the Pen of a ready Writer Psal 45.1 The Lord help thee poor Soul not only to read these Divine writings but to meditate therein day and night to hide them and lay them up in thy heart as a divine Cordial to revive and comfort thee as a divine Lamp to guide and direct thee Psal 119.92 105. and as part of the spiritual Armour to enable thee to vanquish thy spiritual Enemies in the Hour of Temptation Eph. 6.13 David even in those dark times before the Incarnation of Christ professeth of himself that the Word of God was in the mid'st of his Bowels Psal 40.8 And
is a Duplication of the Subject of the Promise I will not leave I will not forsake And a Multiplication of Negatives no fewer than five Negatives by which God intimates That he will not yea he will not surely he will not forsake his Servants He will never wholly reject them nor utterly leave them If he leave them 't is but for a Season If he go from them 't is but as one that goes from home to return speedily again I will not saith Christ leave you Comfortless or as Orphans at Sixes and Sevens but I will come to you Joh. 14.18 He may sometimes frown but he will smile again If at any time his Compassions towards his People seem to be restrained yet they cannot be extinquished 2. Though God may vary in the Operations of his Love yet his Love in it self is still the same and shall be the same for-ever Jer. 31.3 Psal 89.30 44. Joh. 13.1 In the Summer there 's Light inherent in the Sun and Light fluent from the Sun That 's ever perfect and permanent but this may suffer Changes and be obscured as in the Night it happens The Root doth not alwayes give so much Sapp to the Branches as to make them Budd and Blossom yet she doth alwayes stick close to them and influence and maintain them A Father may have a dear Love to his Child and yet shew but little of it in his Carriage as David towards his Son Absolon and so it may be in this Case 3. When God hides his Face from his People he with-holds those Acts of Love only that are for their well-being not those that are for their being Though a true Christian may want that without which he cannot have Comfort yet he shall never want that without which he cannot live In this respect God never with-holds any good Thing from them that walk uprightly Psal 84.11 4. A Christian may miss much of the External Presence of God and yet enjoy inward Communion with him He may want the Comforting Presence of God in respect of Soul-ravishing Joyes and Inlargements and yet at the same time partake of the powerful gracious Influence of the Spirit of God for his Sustentation and Support This doth never utterly forsake him And this is oft-times most in Power when it is least in out-ward shew and Appearance and Saints have most of God when they see him least whose gracious Power may and doth operate effectually where there is but little Sense and Feeling of it Mettals that lye deep under Ground and see not the Heavens yet partake of their Powerful Influence When God cover'd Moyses his Face in the Cleft of the Rock Exod. 33.22 then did he pass by and gave Moyses to see his Glory So the Clouds and Vailes which now cover the Eyes of many Pensive disconsolate Christians are often Forerunners of the Clearest Light and most Soul-ravishing Sight of God How-ever poor Soul be content to remain for a while in this World without these Soul-ravishing Joyes and Tasts of Heaven if God will have it so Doubtless there 's a great Difference betwixt the Condition of Saints in the Church Militant and the Church Tryumphant Heaven at last will make amends for All and that glorious Communion with God which is Reserved for the Saints in the Church Tryumphant will Countervail all the Sad and Sorrowful Thoughts Pressures and Temptations which now they are expos'd unto in their Militant Estate and Condition FINIS The CONTENTS of this small Tract touching Sad Disconsolate Thoughts Text. Psal 94.19 Opened and Explained Observation Saints should Watch against Sad Melancholy Unbelieving Thoughts I. Such Sad Disconsolate Thoughts are here described II. The Causes of them are set down First Bodily distempers especially Melancholy do partly cause them Secondly There are spiritual Causes of these Sad Thoughts As 1. Those remaining Principles of Carnal Reason and Unbelief that are in the Saints 2. They are Caused by a deep sense of Sin and the desert of it 3. By Spiritual Desertion or Gods hiding His Face from the Soul 4. From the Sad apprehension of Divine wrath and displeasure 5. From the Violent Temptations and Injections of Satan the Prince of Darkness 6. By looking at Death in the Terrible Glass of the violated Law of God The CVRE of these Sad Thoughts I. IF Melancholy be the Cause then use the means which God has appointed for the Cure of it As 1. Use Physick moderate Exercise good Diet. 2. Let your Converse be with Wise Compassionate Christians that have had experience of this sad Distemper and of Remedies against it 3. Consider though the cure of Melancholy be a torture to Physitians yet God can easily Rebuke it II. If your Sad Thoughts be caused by Spiritual Distempers Then 1. In General endeavour to Comfort these Sad Thoughts by applying spiritual Remedies 2. Often chide your selves for these Sad Unbelieving Thoughts More particularly First Does Satan that Spirit of Darkness work upon thy Melancholy distemper Unbelief Carnal Reason Then take to thee the Shield of Faith that thou mayest quench his fiery Darts Secondly If thy Sins make thee Sad and press thee down go to Christ who freely Invites the Soul that 's burthened and heavy laden Thirdly If at present thou doest not behold the Face of God with joy yet consider His Love is Unchangable and whom He Loves once He loves for ever Fourthly If thou hast Sad Apprehensions of Divine Wrath and Displeasure remember that Christ thy Surety has borne the Wrath of God for Sinners Fifthly If thou art Tempted by Satanical Injections to Blasphemy c. and doest abhor and resist the Temptation Consider it is thy Tryal not thy Sin Sixthly If the fear of Death cause Sad Thoughts learn to look at Death in the comfortable Glass of the Gospel of Christ Some further Directions for a poor Soul that 's perplexed with Sad and dark Thoughts I. Direction Call to Remembrance and improve former evidences of God's Love and Kindness to you II. Plead and expostulate humbly with God when He seems to hide His Face from thee This Direction is drawn out and inlarged in five particulars III. Improve the Soul sorrows and sufferings of Christ who bore the wrath of God in His Soul that thy soul might rejoyce in God IV. Renew thy Faith and Repentance in good earnest as if hitherto thou had'st never done it to purpose V. Trust in the Name of God Jehovah for Comfort and Salvation There 's enough in this Name to support thee under all thy sad pressures VI. Furnish thy self with fit matter out of the Holy Scriptures for Heavenly Thoughts and Meditations This was the practise of the Prophet David Of Job who esteemed the Word of God more than his necessary Food Of Nepotianus whom Hierom speaks of Of Augustin and his dear Friend Alipius Of Mr. Bilney Martyr Of Bishop Latimer Martyr Of Alice Benden Martyr Of Mrs. Katherine Brettergh Of Mr. John Holland an Eminent Saint and Preacher
intollerable burthen Rom. 7.24 O then remember that sweet Invitation of thy Saviour Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Matth. 11.28 Apply to thy soul the Soveraign Blood of Christ which cleanseth from all Sin 1 Joh. 1.7 which pacifieth the Conscience and purgeth it from dead works Heb. 9.14 which speaks better things than the Blood of Abel Heb. 12.24 Cast the burthen of thy sins thy guilt thy punishment on Christ on whom God made to meet the Iniquities of us all and by whose Stripes we are healed Isa 53.5 6. His soul was sad and sorrowful to the death that thy soul might rejoyce the Spirit of the Lord God was upon him and he was sent by God to bind up the broaken-hearted to give them that mourn in Sion Beauty for Ashes the oyle of Joy for Mourning and the garment of Praise for the spirit of heaviness Isa 61.1 2 3. Thirdly Doth the Lord hide his Face from thee so that thou beholdest not the light of His Countenance as formerly Think with thyself notwithstanding that God's Love is Unchangable and Everlasting He changeth not as Man doth Mal. 3.6 Though he seem to hide his Face and forsake thee for a small moment yet with Everlasting kindness will I embrace thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer Isa 54.7 8. He retaineth not his Anger for ever He will turn again He will have Compassion upon us Micah 7.18 19. If thou prayest to God in Faith He will be favourable to thee and thou shalt see his Face with joy Job 33.26 Who is among you that feareth the Lord that walketh in darkness and hath no light let him trust in the Name of the Lord and stay upon his God Isa 50.10 Though the tender Mother go sometimes where the Child doth not see her yet still her Bowels are towards the Child God when he seems to with-draw from his people yet still his Love and Compassion are towards them Christ upon the Cross cryed out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me that we might not be forsaken of God Fourthly Doest thou yet apprehend some tokens of God's wrath and displeasure which fills thy heart with fear and amazement Remember that Christ our Sponsor and Surety hath born the whole VVrath of God the whole Curse of the Law for all those that come to him and believe on him He hath Redeemed us from the Curse of the Law being made a Curse for us Gal. 3.13 He it was that trode the Wine-press of the fierceness of the Wrath of God and there was none to help him Isa 63.5 6. Rev. 19.15 By this Jesus we are delivered from the wrath to come 1 Thes 1.10 The Lord is merciful and gracious He will not always Chide neither will he keep his Anger for ever As a Father pittyeth his Children so the Lord pittyeth them that fear Him for he knoweth our frame He remembreth that we are but dust Psal 103.8 9 13 14. He will not contend for ever neither will He be always Wrath lest the Spirit should fail before him He will restore Comforts to him that Mourns and will Create the fruit of the lips Peace Peace Isaiah 57.16 19. Fifthly Doth Satanical Injections and violent Temptations to the most horrid Evils and Blasphemies haunt and hurry thee day and night Consider poor soul that they are thy Tryals not thy Sins if thou dost not yield thereunto but abhor and resist them thou art like the modest Virgin that 's forcibly Ravished by a wicked Man without her consent 'T is his Sin not hers though a great Affliction to her Oh flye to the Throne of Grace and Mercy for help and succor in this time of Need rest thy self on God's free promise and word of Grace He is Faithful and will not suffer you to be Tempted above that you are able but will with the Temptation also make a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it 1 Cor. 10.13 The Lord is Faithful who shall stablish you and keep you from Evil 2 Thes 3.3 The Lord shall preserve thee from all Evil He shall preserve thy soul Psal 121.7 Thou shalt be kept by the power of God through Faith to Salvation 1 Pet. 1.5 Let thy soul take Sanctuary in the free Promise of Grace Sixthly Doth the fear of Death and Eternity cause sad thoughts of heart in thee O learn to look at Death in the comfortable Glass of the Gospel of Christ and not in the dreadful glass of the Law Death to a Believer is swallowed up in Victory the Sting of this Serpent is taken away by Christ O Death saith he I will be thy Death O Grave I will be thy Victory Christ hath conquer'd Death perfum'd the Grave and opened a way for poor Sinners to Everlasting Glory The Sting of Death is Sin and the Strength of Sin is the Law But Thanks be to God which giveth us the Victory through our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 15.56 57. Forasmuch as the Children are Partakers of Flesh and Blood Christ Himself took part of the same that through Death he might destroy him that had the Power of Death that is the Devil and deliver them who through fear of Death were all their Life-time subject to Bondage Heb. 2.14 15. Here five or six special Helps and Directions when ye are troubled and perplexed with sad Thoughts and much Darkness upon your Spirits DIRECTION I. Call to Remembrance what hath formerly pass'd betwixt God and your Soul what Love-tokens ye have received from him though you be now under a Cloud As when the Title of your Land is questioned you search old Records and Evidences so ye should do in this Case Thus David when his Soul had before refused to be Comforted and his Spirit was in a manner overwhelmed yet now he would consider the Dayes of Old the Years of Antient Times and call to Remembrance his Songs in the Night c. Psal 77.2 3 5 6. And Job when the Wrath of God seemed to be kindled against him and God counted him as one of his Enemies and his Reines were consumed within him yet still saith he Job 19.11 27 28. The Root of the Matter is found in me He acknowledged that he had the Root of true Faith in him and knew that his Redeemer liveth Though the Exercise of his Faith was at present suspended as to the comfortable Effects of it yet he had an evidence of his good Estate from his former Experience As in the Winter-Season though the Plant seems to wither yet the root of it still remaines in the Earth and when the Spring comes and the Sun shines upon it with a powerful Influence it will appear DIRECTION II. Plead and expostulate Humbly with thy God when he seems to hide his Face from thee make use of Arguments in thy Prayers taken from the Infinitness of God's Mercy and the Greatness of thy Misery Thy Saviour in His great Soul-Agony and